Boz Scaggs
Band members Related acts
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- Boz Scaggs (aka William Royce Scaggs) -- vocals, guitar, harmonica
supporting musicians: (1969) - Duane Allman (RIP) -- slide guitar, guitar, dobro - Joe Arnold -- sax - Barry Beckett -- keyboard - Ben Cauley -- trumpet - Charles Chalmers -- sax - Joyce Dunn -- backing vocals - Jeannie Greene -- backing vocals - Roger Hawkins -- drums, percussion - Eddie Hinton -- lead guitar - Mary Holiday -- backing vocals - David Hood -- bass - Jimmy Johnson -- lead guitar - Al Lester -- fiddle - Gene Miller -- trumpet, trombone - James Mitchell -- sax - Tracy Nelson -- backing vocals - Floyd Newman -- sax - Irma Routen -- backing vocals - Donna Thatcher (aka Donna Jean Godchaux)-- backing vocals
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- Steve Miller Band - Mother Earth - The Other Side - The Wigs
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Boz Scaggs Company: Atlantic Catalog: SD
19166 Country/State: Canton, Ohio Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve; reissue Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1285 Price: $15.00
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By 1968 Boz Scaggs had recorded an obscure 1965 Swedish solo album for Polydor ("Boz") and two studio albums with The Steve Miller Band ("Children of the Future" and "Sailor"). Quitting the band, he found himself without a label, or recording contract, but with an assist from friend/Rolling Stone magazine editor Jann Wenner, scored a contract with Atlantic Records. Following a trail of earlier performers, Scaggs soon found himself shipped off to Muscle Shoals and teamed with producers Marlin Greene and Wenner.
Scaggs' American debut "Boz Scaggs" ends to get favorable reviews from critics and fans and I'll readily admit the combination of his significant talents and support from the Muscle Shoals crew (including Duane Allman) made for some first-rate performances. Judging by tracks like 'I'll Be Long Gone'', 'Finding Her', and 'Sweet Release' (shades of Al Green), Scaggs was an excellent song writer; a fine guitarist, and I'll admit to having always liked his slinky voice. My big problem with the album has always been there's too much Muscle Shoals and not enough Scaggs. The conventional blues number 'Another Day (Another Letter)', the straightforward country 'Now You're Gone', and his cover of Jimmy Rodgers' 'Waiting for a Train' may have been heartfelt, but they just weren't very enjoyable for a pop/rock fan. Even the lengthy 'Loan me a Dime' had issues. Yes, Duane Allman's work on the song was first-rate, but the song itself was a rather routine blues number and stretched out over twelve minutes it seemed endless.
"Boz
Scaggs" track listing: 1.) I'm Easy (W.R. Scaggs - Barry Beckett) - 2:08 Hum, having heard his work with The Steve Miller Band, 'I'm Easy' was a surprisingly soul inflected ballad. Super nice Muscle Shoals feel to this one. It was tapped as the album's single: - 1969's 'I'm Easy' b/w 'I'll Be Long Gone' (Atlantic catalog 45-2692) rating: *** stars 2.) I'll Be Long Gone (W.R. Scaggs) - 4:00 Silky smooth ballad that came as a major surprise to me. I always thought "Silk Degrees" marked the start of Scaggs' adult contemporary stage. Having said that, the term adult contemporary wasn't meant as a slam since this was one amazing tune. YouTube has a wonderful performance of the tune taken from a June 1971 performance at San Francisco's Fillmore West: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WEFcUFLqLQ rating: **** stars 3.) Another Day (Another Letter) (W.R. Scaggs) - 3:11 The first minor disappointment, 'Another Day (Another Letter)' was a pedestrian blues number. rating: ** stars 4.) Now You're Gone (W.R. Scaggs) - 3:48 Well he was recording in Muscle Shoals so I guess you could forgive him for writing and recording a country-tinged tune. On the other hand it was a country-tinged tune, complete with Al Lester's fiddle. Lift the styles and move on. rating: ** stars 5.) Finding Her (W.R. Scaggs) - 4:09 Very nice, slightly jazzy ballad. The tune started out with Barry Beckett providing a classical-styled opening and then Duane Allman's guitar kicked it to a new level. Even better was Beckett's return on electric piano and harpsichord. Only complaint was the tune was too short. rating: **** stars 6.) Look What I Got (Charles Chalmers - D. Rhodes) - 4:12 Lots of folks seem to appreciate Scaggs the bluesman. Frankly I don't see what the appeal was. His vocal seemed strained and flat. The female backing singers didn't really help. Best thing on this one was Duane Allman on dobro. rating: *** stars
(side
2) Mind you, I don't have anything against Jimmy Rodgers, but I'm not a big yodeling fan and no matter how much Duane Allman dobro you slapped on this one, it wasn't going to improve the results. rating: ** stars 2.) Loan Me a Dime (Fenton Robinson) - 12:48 If you ask a Scaggs fan, there's a good chance they'll point to 'Loan Me a Dime' as one of his classic performances. It's one of the few "oldies" Scaggs still has in his live act, even though fans used to pelt him with dimes when he played it. Musically it was certainly an impressive slice of Southern blues with one of Duane Allman's standout performances. It sure is a long song ... Interestingly, originally credited as a Scaggs-penned tune, Fenton Robinson's estate took him to court and won a settlement. YouTube has a bunch of live performances of the tune (none with the late Allman). This one featured Scaggs and Drew Zing on lead guitar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RTh5t8yEqI rating: **** stars 3.) Sweet Release (W.R. Scaggs - Barry Beckett) - 6:17 Nice blue-eyed soul ballad with an instantly identifiable Muscle Shoals groove. rating: *** stars
Favorable reviews saw the album hit # 171 on the US charts.
Interestingly there are two versions of the album. The original was mixed by Stax engineer Terry Manning. On the heels of Scaggs "Silk Degrees" success, in 1977 Atlantic reissued the LP, but for some reason decided to have Tom Perry remix the LP, shifting some of the spotlight to the horn arrangements and Duane Allman's contributions.
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